Warehouse-door.



No. 756,609. PATENTED APR. 5, 1904 I. ERWOOD. I

WAREHOUSE DOOR.

APPLIOATIOK FILED JAN. 30, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Wifn m I Q7742 fi% W UNrrnn f STATES Patented n' rn 5,19o4.'

" PATENT QEFICE.

JOHN ERWOOD, or ornoaeo, ILLINOIS.

WAREHOUSEDOOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,609, ma A ril-'5, 1904.

Application filed January 80, 1903. Serial No. 141,139. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Joan ERWooD, a citizen of the United States, residing at, No. 1604 West Adams street, in the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in WarehouserDoors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming apart thereof.-

The purpose'of this invention is to provide an improved door of the character Whose most frequent use would be for warehouses, but adapted for any situation requiring a door which can open upward and be disposed of overhead.

It consists of the features ofponstru'ction which are set out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figural is an elevationof a door embodying my invention, same be- Fig. 2 is a ing shown in the closed position. section at the line-2 2 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail section at the line 3 3 on Fig. 1, showing the door in full line at partly-elevated and in dotted line at fully-elevated .position. Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the latching mechanism seen in connection with the door in Fig; 3. Fig. 5 isa detail eleva 1 being usually mostconveniently made longer than the lower. The lower section has a guide stud and roll 8 at each. edge, the two being in line horizontally a little belowthe hinge-line of the two sections, and the upper section has a similar pair of stud and roll "guides similarly situated relatively at about the same distance from the upperedge of said upper section. These stud and roll guides take into the channel guide-track, which is formed by means of channel-iron bar 6, se-- cured at the two opposite edges of the dooropening. This channel-bar extends the whole height of the door-opening and a little above the same for purposes hereinafter pointed out. From the point a little below the top of the I door-opening at which the guide 4 stands when the door is at its lower positionthatis, closed.the're is extended from each of the guide-channels 6 an oblique channel 5, taking oif from the channel 6'sideward and upward toward the ceiling in a vertical plane at right angles to the wall having the door, and from said guide-channels at a level somewhat above the-top of the door there is extended in the same vertical plane the horizontal channel 7, both the channels 5 and 7 ,being the same formation as the channel 6-that is, made of angle-iron bar and beingrigidly supported, preferably from overhead. At opposite edges.

of the lower section 2 near the lowerend there are studs 8 8, which project into the guidechann'els. At the back or bottom of the verticalguide-channel 6, commencing anywhere below the oblique channels 5, it is' reduced in width-as, for example, by filling in at the opposite sides with parallel strips 9 9, leaving a narrow channel 5 in the middle adapted only to receive the stud 8, which is of sufiicient length'to extend into the space between said strips. up past the oblique channel 5, thereby excludingthe stud from said channel 5, which admits and accommodates the stud and roll These strips 9 9 are continued guidesB and 4. The guide-studs 3 and 4 are shorter or adapted to project into the channel a less distance than the stud 8, theirrolls, as illustrated in the case of the roll 3, (seen in Fig.

6,) being enough narrower or thinner than the depth of the channels 6 to leave room between them and the back or bottom of each channel even where it is filled in' by the strips 9 9 for a lifting chain orcable 1O, which is guide-pulley 13 on the same axle with the pulley 13, both cables passing thence down to a Windlass 15, provided with a crank-handle 16 for winding up the doors. The doors are larly to a guide-pulley 14 and thence over a v IOU thus lifted by the bottom, where the eyes 11 of the cables are secured to the studs 8 *8.

Immediately above the position of the stud and roll guides 4: when the door is down there are secured in the vertical channel blocks d6 46, corresponding in thickness to the width of the'rolls of the guides 3 and L and in the path of said guidesthat is, was to overhang them-and having their lower ends cut away on a slant corresponding to and in continuation of the lower surface of the upper flange of the oblique. channel 5, as seen in Fig. 5.

' These blocks, it will be seen, operating to prethe preceding guide, causing the-lower sec vent the guides 4 from passing up in the channel 6 above the entrance to the oblique channel 5, cause said guides .to be deflected into said oblique channels as soon as the door is lifted, and as it continues to rise these guides following the oblique channels cause the upper section of the door to be tipped inward, and as the door is further lifted this upper section of the door approachesmore' and more nearly to a horizontal position until the stud and roll guide 3 reaches the entrance to the oblique channel and is deflected into it in the same manner as tion also to be'tipped inward, as seen iri Fig. 3. As the door isfurther elevated the guide 4 passes into the horizontal channel 7 and the upper section of the door becomes eventually nearly horizontal by the time the guide 3 reaches the entrance to the horizontal chan-.

nel. 7, which may be the highest position of the door, the lower end of the lower section being at that time a little distance above the. en rance to the oblique channel, as seen in.

dotted line in Fig. 3. The door is designed .to be elevated, as described, by the Windlass and cranl i 16; but it may also be counterpoisedby evi'ces provided for that purpose, not herein shown, but which,'it will be understood, may be connected at suitable points to the c abres 10 min any other convenient manner. P It will be noticed that by reason of the stud and roll guides 3 and -being at some distance back from the upper edges .of the door-sections to which they pertain, respectively, so much of the weight of said sections as is lo cated beyond1. e., above-the guides coun} terbalances a like portion at the other side of the guides when the door is in elevated position and that to the extent, therefore, of double the amount which is beyond orabove said guides the counterbalancing-weight of anymeans which might be employed to uphold the door is relieved. Thisis of special importance when a latching device is employed, since then lighter constructioncan be used than if the whole-weight. of the door hadto be sustained by it. Q

In order that the door when raised to its highest position may be perfectly safe against anyxpossibility of falling should the supporting-cables give way, I provide the automatic teases lock device seen in Figs. 3 and 4. This device comprises a metal plate or casing '20,

which is strongly mounted on the partition or wall which the door closes just above the dooropening and at the side opposite that toward which the door is deflected as it is raised. On

21 22, having equal sprocket-wheels23 24, which are connected by the chain 25, causing them to have synchronous movement 'On the lower shaft 21 rigid with the sprocketwheel 23 there is a four-armed ratchet-like latching-wheel 26, each of whose ratchet- "this plate or casing are journaled two shafts I shaped arms 27 has an abrupt face 28, adapted at proper position of the wheel to adord lodgment for the lower end of the door when the latter is lifted to its highest position, as seenat Fig. 3. on this shaft, also rigid with the.

latching-wheel, there is a ratchet-disk 29, engaged by a pawl 30 to lock the latchingwheel against rotation backwardthat is, in direction to let down the end of the door, which maybe supported on the ratchet-arm of the wheel. The sprocketwheel 24. on the upper shaft has an interior clutch-rim 31, which is engaged bya dog 32' on the lever 33, which is fulcrumed on the shaft 22 and projects off therefrom in position to overhang the lower end of the door when the latter is elevated to nearly horizontal position, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4. A spring 35 reacts against the dog 32 to engage it with the clutch- I rim, and suitable stops .36 and 37 above and below the arm 33 limit its play about its pivot. Foreach of the ratchet-arms 27 there are two With this con-. I

pass successively into position at which they may operate to hold the door up, each alternate step of such movement bringing a latching-arm into such door-holding position, the intermediate alternate steps bringing the arms into position which leaves a clear path for the door either up or down past the wheel. The device being adjusted so that when the door is down the latching-arms are inthe last-men tioned position, it will be seen that by lift-.

ing the door past the wheel and against the pawl-lever 33, lifting that lever so as to give one-step feed movement to the wheel, a latcharm is broughtup under the door in position to hold it, when it is let back a little distance to allow the lever-arm 3 to drop to thelower stop, and that when it is desired to release the 'doorto let it down this may be accomplished by first pushing it up again against the leverarm 33 and giving another step movement to. I

tip latching-wheel, which will carry its latching-arms out of the track of the door on the descent of the latter.

leading from said vertical channels respectively a substantial distance below the top of thedoor-opening, and extending off obliquely upward therefrom in parallel vertical planes transverse to the plane of the door-opening, each door-section having a substantial distance below its upper edge, guide-studs taking into the channels respectively, and means for lifting the door by engagement therewith near the bottom of the lower section. 4

2. A warehouse-door and means for operating the same, comprising, two door sections hinged together in horizontal line; vertical guide-channels at the opposite edges of the door-opening; oblique channels leading from said vertical channels extending off upward therefrom in parallel vertical planes transverse to the plane of the door-opening, and horizontal channels leading from the upper ends of said oblique channels respectively, each door: section having at a substantial distance below its upper edge guide-studs taking into the guide-channels respectively, and means for lifting the door by engagement therewith near the bottom of the lower section.

3. A warehouse-door and means for operating the same, comprising two door s'ections hinged together at a horizontal line; parallel guide-channels in the opposite vertical edges of the door-opening; oblique channels leading off upward from said vertical channels respectively, at a short distance below the top of the door; guide-studs projecting from the lateral edges of both door-sections atadistance below the upper edges thereof, respectively, equal to the distance below the top of the door at which the oblique channels lead off from the vertical channels, and means for lifting the door arranged to engage the same near the bottom of the lower section.

4. Awarehouse-door and means for operating the same, comprising two door-sections hinged together at a horizontal line; guidestuds projecting from the lateral edges of both sections at a short distance below theirupper edges. respectively; vertical channels into which said guide-studstake at the lateral edges of the door-opening; oblique channels leading ofl upward from said vertical channels adapted to be entered and followed by said studs;:

guide-studsat the lower end of the opposite lateral edges of the lower section taking into said vertical guide-channels, said last-mentioned studs being less in one dimension than the first-mentioned guide-studs, the vertical guide-channel being reduced to the dimension of said bottom studs, commencing immediately above the point at which the oblique channels lead off from the vertical channels, whereby the first-mentioned studs cannot follow the vertical channel beyond such point, H

and means for engaging the door to lift it.

5. A warehouse-door and means for operating it, comprising two door sections hinged together at a horizontal l ne; vertical gu1dechannels at the vertical edges of the door-openstuds taking into said guide -channels and adapted totravel both in thevertical and oblique portions thereof; studs prpjecting from the lateral edges of the lower section at the lower end thereof into said verticalguidechannels, said last mentioned studs being longer than the first mentioned guide-studs, the vertical channels having grooves at the bottom, into which said longer studs protrude, said grooves commencing in said vertical channels below the point of divergence therefrom of the oblique channels, and extending up past that point, whereby the lower end of the lower door. section ,is guided vertically past said oblique channels when the door is lifted;

a 6. A warehouse-door and means for operating it, comprising a plurality of door-sections horizontally hinged together, and thereby adapted to fold; means for elevating the door and for deflecting it laterally at the upper part,

"to carry it overhead; a latching device at the top of the doorway in position to engage the bottom of the door when the same is elevated,

andmeans overhanging the bottom of the door when'thus elevated and latched, for releasing the latch by further elevating the bottom of the door, I

7 In combination with a warehouse-door, a latching device for automatically engaging the same when elevated, and a device for releasing tlie latch, adapted to be operated for such release by lifting the door beyond latching position. i

8. In combination with a warehouse-door, a

latching device for holding the same elevated, comprising a-latching-wheel having a plurality of latching-arms; a ratchet-disk connectedwith such wheel for rotation, having two ratchet teeth for each latching-arm of the wheel; means for operating the rotating latch-J ing wheel in steps corresponding to the 1 15 ratchet-teeth, the angular movement of the latching-wheel caused by each step being suf- IIO ficient to take it into or out of latching position, whereby it alternates between latching andreleasing position at the successive steps of its rotation.

9. In combination with 'a warehouse-door, means for latching the door in open position, consisting of a latching-wheel having a plurality of latching-arms, and arranged to rotate to bring said latching-arms successively into latching position and carry them out of the same, the angular interval between said arms being such that at an intermediate point hetween their respective latching positions they ane'out oflatching position; mechanism operated by the door moving beyond latching position for actuating the latching-wheel step by step, the length of each step being the angular distance from latching to unlatehing position, whereby such movement of the door, when latched, unlatches it, and when unlatched, latches it. I 10. In combination with a warehouse-door, means for latching and unlatching it, comprising a latching wheel having a plurality of latching-arms whose angular separation suecessively is twice'the angular movement from latching to unlatching position; a ratchet connected with such latching-wheel for rotation, and apawl for engaging 'the same, the ratchet having two teeth for each latching-arm of the wheel; a second wheel'and nieans by which it; rotates the latching-wheel; a clutch for actuat ing the second wheel with step-by-step move- 20 ment, and an operating-arm of such clutch, extending in the path of the door when the lat' ter is moved past latching position, each step movement of such clutch-wheel being adapted to rotate the latching-wheel one ratehet-tooths distance, whereby each movement of the door beyond latching position against the clutcharm rotates the latching-wheel one step from latching t0 unlatching, or from unlatching to latch: g position, as the case may be.

In estimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two witnesses, at Chicago', Illinois, this 24thday of January, A. D.

JOHN .ERWOOD. in. presence ofr CHAS. S. BURTON,

Fnnnn. G. Fisonnn. 

